8 Responses to A Visit to Nitto

Mixed feelings. Glad that Nitto exists still? Yes. Do I buy the notion their steel has the qualities of mithril? No. Can I see their ‘steampunk’ manufacturing system makes economic sense? Yes, so long as ‘retrogrouches’ will pay the premium; though places like Velo Orange are sourcing similar for much less, from Taiwan.

Yet I have Nitto Randonneur bars, and like them well enough. As for ‘steampunk’, I only ride Brooks saddles, and love all three I own: two B17Ns and one Titanium Swallow.

Apropos of nothing, as I am writing this comment we just had another tremor in Tokyo: June 14, 2011, 22:08. It’s getting old.

If you want to make handlebars in small quantities, it doesn’t make sense to set up huge machinery. What I like about Nitto is that I can get the bends I want – with more reach, flatter ramps, and even a truly functional (rather than merely aesthetic) randonneur bend. Beyond that, the main advantage of the high quality of Nitto’s production vs. many lower-priced competitors is a more uniform wall thickness, which allows you to make lighter handlebars that still are safer. A Grand Bois handlebar weighs about 90 grams less than the handlebars from the competition. Nitto-made bars pass EN safety tests… which are not required for selling bicycle products in North America, but it’s nice to know.

Price is one thing, quality is another. I don’t mean exclusivity, esoterica, hand-polished by lil’ ol ladies. No, I mean that these guys know metallurgy, materials, and manufacturing, and have for a long time. The cheaper, mass-produced Asian stuff is often not there. Recently read the testing of VO cranks in Bicycle Quarterly: premature wear of “7000” series chainrings, corrosion infiltrating grain structure of crankarm from one season of use. I won’t even start the list of cheap Asian hub failures I have had and seen. That I can get the Nitto quality for the small price they ask is value.

>>>Yes, so long as ‘retrogrouches’ will pay the premium; though places like Velo Orange are sourcing similar for much less, from Taiwan.

A great video, I always find manufacturing videos interesting. I like how the handlebar bending machine makes it look so easy! And I might just need to buy a new stem now that I’ve seen the guy assembling them by hand.

They only show how to bend a relatively simple handlebar shape. I wonder how they make the Grand Bois Randonneur bars, which require bending in two planes, rather than one. (The Nitto Randonneur bars are a simplified shape that is easier to bend, but not as comfortable.)